B. Conduct within the church 12:3-21Every Christian has the same duty toward God, namely, dedication (Romans 12:1-2). Nevertheless the will of God for one Christian will differ from His will for another concerning life and ministry within the body of Christ (Romans 12:3-21). read more
It is important that we remember that we are part of a larger organism. We are not just a group of individuals each doing our own thing. Paul had previously used the body to illustrate the church in 1 Corinthians 12. What he said here recapped the main idea that he expounded more fully there. The body of Christ is a unified organism, and its members are diverse personally and in their functions."Your right hand has never yet had a fight with the left: on the contrary, each constantly helps the... read more
The Conseceated Life. The Law of LoveThe doctrinal part of the Epistle being finished, St. Paul now turns to practical exhortation. God’s mercy, shown in the gospel set forth in the previous chapters, calls for the sacrifice of ourselves to do His will (Romans 12:1-2), by the humble and devoted use of God’s spiritual gifts (Romans 12:3-8), and in love (Romans 12:9-21).1-21. Paraphrase. ’(1) God’s redeeming love should be answered by the true sacrifice and spiritual ritual service of a life of... read more
(4) Members in one body.—This figure of the body and the members is worked out more fully in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. read more
(4, 5) In the church there must be a graduation, a hierarchy, a division of labour, every one doing that for which he is best fitted, just as in the body one member has one office assigned to it, and another another. All Christians, viewed collectively, make up one body, the unity of which is supplied by their relation to Christ. Viewed individually, they stand to each other in the same sort of relation as the different limbs and organs of the natural body, as foot and hand, or hand and eye. read more
(5) In Christ.—Christ is the unifying principle in the Church, just as the personality or will is the unifying principle in man.Every one.—A somewhat peculiar phrase in the Greek, not found in this form in classical writers, meaning “as individuals.”Members one of another.—Strictly speaking, the members are called members in their relation to the body, and not in their relation to each other. We should say, rather, “fellow-members with one another.” read more
The Living Sacrifice Romans 12:1 I. The Sacrifice God Requires. 'That ye present your bodies.' Our bodies, that is, the life of our bodies; for if we give our bodies as an offering, we give all that belongs to the body. The sacrifice God requires is that of the life. He demands a life devoted to Him. (a) The life may be given to business, but this must be given to Him, and so the employment of our hands and minds made holy. (b) The life may be given to science, but it must not be a... read more
Chapter 25CHRISTIAN CONDUCT THE ISSUE OF CHRISTIAN TRUTHRomans 12:1-8AGAIN we may conjecture a pause, a long pause and deliberate, in the work of Paul and Tertius. We have reached the end, generally speaking, of the dogmatic and so to speak oracular contents of the Epistle. We have listened to the great argument of Righteousness, Sanctification, and final Redemption. We have followed the exposition of the mysterious unbelief and the destined restoration of the chosen nation; a theme which we... read more
III. EXHORTATIONS AND THE CONCLUSION. Chapters 12-16. CHAPTER 12 1. The Body as a Willing Sacrifice. (Romans 12:1-2 .) 2. Service. (Romans 12:3-8 .) 3. The Daily Walk in Holiness. (Romans 12:9-21 .) Romans 12:1-2 . Grace calls for obedience. After God has made known the riches of His grace, the fulness of the Gospel, His Spirit shows how believers should walk in a world of sin and tribulation. The first thing is to present the body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. This... read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 12:3-8
1. The diversity of gifts 12:3-8 read more